By Nsa Gill, Calabar
A cross River State Governor Ben Ayade has launched Operation Akpakwu to flush out criminals from the state, especially kidnappings.
The outfit draws personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Civil Defence.
To enhance its operations, the governor handed over 100 patrol vehicles fitted with cutting edge communication gadgets, ten power bikes and drones.
Ayade promised to return the state, particularly Calabar, to the paradise it once was. According to him, the state will henceforth be too hot for kidnappers and other criminals, asking them to quit or face the wrath of his government.
He said: “Cross River State statistically remains the safest state in Nigeria. In recent past, there has been an increase in the number of crime within the Niger Delta and the country as a whole, arising from the difficulty orchestrated by #EndSARS protest and COVID-19 which brought general poverty and hardship upon the world.
“The instruction is very clear from Abuja – deal decisively with any form of criminality, banditry, cultism and kidnapping. Let this therefore be a strong message to every Cross Riverian and non-indigenes alike, as far as you are resident in Cross River, today is the end of that criminality.
“Today is the end of robbery, banditry and others. We have received very clear instructions from the Federal Government and I have supported them. I stand strong with all my military men and the police that they must comply with the obligations, instructions and orders of government.”
